Durand last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Durand is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Durand.

Meaning of Durand

A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a fortified town or stronghold.

Durand, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Durand surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Durand in America

Durand is the 4070th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Durand surname appeared 8,729 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Durand.

We can also compare 2010 data for Durand to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 4070 4096 -0.64%
Count 8,729 7,999 8.73%
Proportion per 100k 2.96 2.97 -0.34%

The history of the last name Durand

The surname DURAND is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "duran" meaning "enduring" or "long-lasting." It is believed to have originated in the 11th century as a nickname for someone with a strong or resilient character.

The earliest known record of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Durant" and "Durand." This suggests that the name was already well-established in Normandy, France, by the time of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the name spread throughout France, particularly in the regions of Burgundy, Île-de-France, and Normandy. It was often associated with places like Durand-sur-Mer and Durand-Viel, reflecting the presence of families bearing the name in those areas.

One of the earliest known bearers of the DURAND name was William Durand (c. 1230-1296), a prominent canon lawyer and bishop of Mende in southern France. He is best known for his influential work, the "Speculum Judiciale," a treatise on canon law.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records across Europe, including the tax rolls of the city of Douai in modern-day Belgium, where a certain Jean Durand is mentioned in 1368.

During the Renaissance period, the DURAND name gained further prominence with individuals such as Guillaume Durand (1530-1616), a French philosopher and theologian who served as the rector of the University of Paris.

Another notable figure was Gaspard Durand (1635-1688), a French painter and engraver renowned for his religious works and illustrations of the Bible.

In the 18th century, Jacques-Nicolas Durand (1760-1834) was a prominent French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Palais Bourbon, the seat of the French National Assembly.

The 19th century saw the birth of Carolus-Duran (1837-1917), a French painter and teacher who significantly influenced the Impressionist movement. His works were celebrated for their masterful use of color and light.

Throughout history, the DURAND name has been associated with various professions, from clergy and scholars to artists and architects, reflecting the enduring and versatile nature of this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Durand

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Durand.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Durand was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 73.03% 6,375
Non-Hispanic Black Only 9.71% 848
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.28% 112
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.55% 48
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.66% 145
Hispanic Origin 13.76% 1,201

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Durand has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 73.03% 77.77% -6.29%
Black 9.71% 7.46% 26.21%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.28% 1.14% 11.57%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.55% 0.69% -22.58%
Two or More Races 1.66% 1.83% -9.74%
Hispanic 13.76% 11.11% 21.31%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Durand was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Durand, please contact us.

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Durand last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 12, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/durand-surname-popularity/.

"Durand last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/durand-surname-popularity/. Accessed 12 October, 2024

Durand last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/durand-surname-popularity/.

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